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(No Model.)

M. Bowl-ms. LEATHER SOPTENING 0R STAKING MACHINE. No: 365,963. Patented July 5, 1887.

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N. PETERS, PhokrLilhographur, Walhingloh. 11c.

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ALBERT M. BOWVERS, OF NEWARK, NEW' JERSEY.

LEATHER SOFTENING OR STAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,963, dated July 5, 1887.

Application filed July 29, 1880. Serial No. 209,375.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT MILTON Bow- ERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at N ewark,in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leather Softening or Staking Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the process of softenin g and staking leather, or removing the loose fibrous or ragged particles found on the side of the hide opposite that of the grain, and is particularly adapted for use in finishing sheep or goat skins.

The invention consists in a staking'machine having therein the arrangements and combinations of parts, substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, andfinally embodied in the clauses of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine in one of its forms, and Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views showing a staking blade or blades in operative relation to acertain bed.

In said drawings, a and 2) b illustrate, respectively, foundation or base and standard pieces of a frame, which are preferably of wood, and are arranged in pairs with the greater portion of the working mechanism be tween. .Of said working mechanism, a is a rocker held upon an inclined bed, a, by means of abolt, link, or coupling, d, and prevented from movinglongitudinallythereon by means of a stay, f, fastened at one end to the said bed and at the other to the said rocker. An oscillating beam, h, depends from said rocker, and at its lower end is provided with a rollercarrying beam, j, which is pivotally secured to said beam h at At the lower end of the beam 7' the same is provided with a head or carriage, 7c, which provides bearings for a roller or resisting-body or cushion, l, the latter being adapted to engage the upper side of the leather in the staking process, and hold said leather so that the staking-blade may properly act thereon.

(No model.)

The beams h and j are given a reciprocating movement by means of a connecting-bar, p, and crank-wheel t, the former being connected to the latter by a suitable crank-pin,iudicated at p, and the latter being rigidly secured to the beam 9', so that said beam is given a vibra tory movement on the pivot Lindependent of or in addition to its movement with the beam h, as the wheelt causes the rear end of said rod to rise and fall,as will be understood upon reference to the drawings herein, and to the specification and drawings of Patent No. 339,134, issued to me on the 6th day of April, 1886, where these are more particularly de scribed in connection with another leatherworking machine. The simultaneous oscillating and vibrating movements of the beams h and j cause the stroke of the roller or resisting-body to be parallel or approximately parallel with the inclined leather-supports m m.

Upon the pitman or connecting rod or barp is arranged and secured a system of lovers, by means of which a staking-blade, a, is given a backward and forwardniovement with said connecting-rod, and also a movement to and from the roller or resisting-body, or from an inclined plane parallel with the supports an m, the said blade and roller or body approaching one another and engaging the leather lying therebetween at the forward end of the stroke, together moving rearward, and thus making an operative stroke,and at the end of said rearward stroke separating from the leather and from one another, and moving forward in a separated relation, allowing the'operator during this last movement to readjust the leather preparatory to arepetition of the movements.

The blade when employed with a roller which is preferred as a resisting-body preferably strikes the leather in. a direction tangential to the roller, as in Fig. 2, to secure a more effective operation in softening the leather and removing the loose particles found on the under side thereof.

The roller i'smade of rubber or of other ma terial adapted to present a soft or elastic surface or cushion to the grain, by means of which the latter is not flattened.

The construction of the blade o ierating mechanism preferred is shown in the draw at or approximately at right angles to the eonnecting-barp, crossing the same, and being permanently and rigidly fastened thereto, its opposite extremities providing fulcrumal bearings for a lever, s, and the blade-carrying bar a. The said lever s is linked or coupled to the blade-carrying bar by the coupling rod or rods 1', so that as the said lex'cr s is raised by a lever, 10, which engages the free end thereof, the said blade-carrying bar is also raised andthe blade broughtinto contact with the roller or the leather lying therebetween. The lever 10, for actuating the levers, is also fulcrumed on the connecting rod or bar 19, as at x, moving backward and forward and vertically therewith, the rear extremity extending beneath the free end ofthe lever s and the oscillating beam h.

opposite end extending into close proximity to the bearing 3 formed or arranged upon the As the connecting or pitman rod 1) moves forward under the influence of the wheel t, as it arrives near the forward end of its stroke it is raised by said wheel bringing the end w of the lever 10 into engagement with the bearing y, so that said'cnd is depressed and the opposite end raised. By this action the free end of the lever s is raised, and with. it the blade-carrying bar and the blade, the last engaging the leather in unison with the. roller preparatory to making an operative stroke thereon at the opposite sides of said leather.

The bearings 10 3/ continue in engagement until the rod arrives near the end of its stroke, when the descent of the crank end of the said rod causes a disengagement of said bearings and a separation of the parts a and Z.

The blade employed is similar to an ordinary staking-bladaexcept in that it is provided with a bent shank, as shown, adapted to be secured to the horizontallydisposed bar '0.

In operating upon certain peculiar kinds of work I add other blades, as in Fig. 3, which bear on the wheel at various points of its periphery, operating together on the leather at each alternate stroke of the rod or bar o.

In lieu of a roller, Z, for cooperating with the staking-blade by engaging with the leather on the side thereof opposite that upon which the said blade is operating to hold the leather into proper relation to said blade, that the latter may have effect thereon, I may employ any other resisting body of matter, prefera, bly of an elastic or cushion-like nature; and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to a revolving body such as the said roller, though the latter is ordinarily more efficient.

The bed upon which the leather is supported and manipulated consists, particularly, of two inclined bars, m m, arranged apart to allow the blade and roller to work between, these bars being supported by uprights n n to support said bars, and a cross-piece, 0, against which the operator may lean while working, holding the leather between his body and said crosspiece while the draft of the roller and blade or blades is exerted thereon, and also holding said parts an m and n it together, as will be understood.

The cross-piece may be provided at its up- 7 per edge with a rubber or similar frictionpieee, 0, to enable the workman to hold the leather more securely.

.While I prefer the constructions and arrangements of parts shown because of their simplicity, cheapness, and efficiency, I am fully aware that many modifications and changes of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the roller may be dispensed with and some other form of resisting-body be substituted, whether 1:". the movable form shown or not.

The coupling mechanism for holding the rocker to the inclined bed a is of peculiar and improved construction, and is equally apple cable to other leather-working machines.

Upon the inclined bed 0 is arranged a pair of spiral springs, g, upon which a movable beam, 2, is seated, and between which the bolt or coupling-piece d, which holds the rocker to said beam, is arranged. By this construction a more even tension on the rocker is secured at a reduced cost-of construction, while at the same time an excessive tension is not brought upon the springs in securing the proper effect, as by constructions heretofore in use.

The operation of the machine having been already set forth in describing the construe tiou employed, further description is deemed unnecessary.

What I claim as new is v '1. The improved leather-staking machine, substantially such as described, provided with a reciprocating staking-blade, aroller having a corresponding movement to engage the leather on the side thereof opposite that on which the said blade is operating, and means, substair tially such as described, for actuating said blade and roller, said parts being arranged and combined and adapted to operate substantially as set forth. v

2. In a staking-machine, a stakingblade and an elastic roller to engage the leather on the side thereof opposite that being operated on by the said blade, said blade and rollermoving reciprocally and in unison, and means, substantially such as described, for actuating said blade and roller, said parts being arranged and combined and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Ina machine for staking leather, the combination of astaking-blade and an elastic body or cushion, Z, to engage the leather on the side opposite that on which the said blade is operating, said blade and body or cushion moving reciprocally and in unison,- and means, sub stantial] y as described, for actuating said blade and body or cushion, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination, in a staking-machine, the oscillating beam 71, vibrating beam j, carriage 7c, resisting-body Z, beam or rod 1), and wheel f, and a stakingblade carried by said beam or rod 2, and given vertical movement by a system of levers, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In combination, in a staking-macl'iine, the reciprocating resisting-body Z, actuated by a wheel and connecting or pitman rod, and a blade-carrying bar, 7), carried by said rod, all said parts being arranged and combined substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a staking-machine, the combination, with the reciprocating resisting-body Z and a rod, 1), moving therewith, of a bladecarrying bar, fulcrumal beam q, levers s and w, bearing 1, and a coupling rod or bar, 1', all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ALBERT M. BOlVERS.

\Vitnesscs:

CHARLES H. PELL, OSCAR A. MIoHELs. 

